Apparently, it was for a marijuana farmer in Washington state. “I never thought it’d be a problem to give money away,” said marijuana farmer Randy Williams, the owner of Fireweed Farm, just north of Prosser, Washington. A source claimed school officials bluntly turned down the $14,000 donation from the marijuana farmer, stating they were “taking a stand” against youth marijuana use.

“We’re not taking it. End of story,”

said Ray Tolcacher, Prosser School District superintendent.

“That’s a mistake on their end because they’re not helping anything,”

Williams said after visiting the school district office a few weeks ago to try to donate the money. Tolcacher, who was away at the time, called the would-be donor on the telephone on Monday to turn down the money.
Williams said he will donate to the Boys & Girls Club of Benton and Franklin Counties.

Williams, one of the few legally licensed marijuana farmers in Yakima Valley, promised at a first-ever marijuana auction November 15 at his farm to donate the proceeds of one “low-grade” lot to local schools. The weed brought in about $13,500; Williams kicked in the difference to make it an even $14K.

Do you think the school was wrong in declining the donation? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

An extremely interesting and unique story in the States caught my attention and must be shared. Billboard adverts launched this week by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) in Seattle and Denver that encourage parents to keep marijuana out of reach of children. The ads are part of a broad public educational campaign urging adults to “consume responsibly” in states where marijuana has been legalized.

The billboards feature a small child looking at what could be a glass of grape or ‘purple drank’ those of familiar with Dave Chappell and a few cookies that could or could not be infused with marijuana. The billboard reads, “Some juices and cookies are not meant for kids,” and urges them to, “Keep ‘adult snacks’ locked up and out of reach.”

MPP spokesperson Mason Tvert was accompanied at the Monday unveiling of the billboard by Jane West, a marijuana consumer and mother of two small children, who serves as director of Women Grow, a national organization dedicated to helping women influence and succeed in the cannabis industry.

West stated, “We need to treat marijuana like any other product that is legal for adults and not meant for children, a marijuana-infused cookie might look like a regular cookie to my four-year-old, just as a glass of wine might look just like grape juice. Whether it’s marijuana, alcohol, or household cleaning products, it’s our job as parents to keep them locked up and out of reach.”

Do you think these ads are necessary for the public to see? Leave a comment to share your thoughts..

I read a great article earlier this week and thought it would be a great story for our first post! It spoke about Canada’s small hemp industry. It’s growing like a weed (pun intended;), but still faces some obsticles because of its de-criminalized and potent cousin, marijuana.

A few weeks ago, farmers, scientists, health food experts, retailers and fashion designers met in Edmonton to celebrate hemp and discuss how to help products derived from the plant grow on world markets.

Executive director of the Canadian Hemp Trading Alliance, Kim Shukla, says production in this country is forecast to almost double by 2015.

$100 million annually

“That will translate to about $100 million to the Canadian economy,” she said from her farm near Steinbach, Man.

“Saskatchewan is by far the leading province, followed by Manitoba and Alberta.”

Both hemp and marijuana stem from the Cannabis sativa plant family, but hemp contains virtually none of the elements of the THC compound found in marijuana that makes people high.

The 200+ growers across the country are all licensed by Health Canada and can only plant seeds that have been approved by the federal government.

The health benefits of hemp are huge!

Hemp is filled with nutritious Omega 3 and 6 and is used to make breakfast cereals, pretzels, protein powders, salad dressings and lactose-free milk.

Fibre from the hardy plant is made into building products, paper and clothes. Hemp oil is used to make cosmetics.

Shukla said Canada’s main market for hemp products is the United States, where the federal government has been ‘iffy’ of approving cultivation of the plant because it looks similar to marijuana.

But U.S. officials have no problem with Canadian-grown hemp products. Demand for health food and other products derived from the plant is higher than ever.

“Everyone is much more conscious about their health,” she said. “That is a market that hasn’t even nearly reached what the potential is.”

The hemp business is straight-up respectable in Canada.

Do you support Canada’s hemp industry? If so, tell us how in the comments section.